North-West hospitals don’t receive a single cent from a company that charges patients to watch free-to-air TV, a Tasmanian Health Services spokesperson says. Hospital patients must fork out around $8 a day to rent TVs installed and serviced by Sydney-based company Hills Health Solutions. The long-running arrangement has recently sparked outrage among patients, health professionals who often fix faulty TVs and the Labor Party. EDITORIAL: Free internet for tourists, charges for hosptial patients Independent Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest joined the chorus of concern on Friday and said vulnerable patients were “paying extraordinary amounts for what really is an everyday service”. “Eight dollars a day for an elderly pensioner for a device that doesn’t always work is in my mind just ridiculous,” she said. “And those who probably can afford to pay probably have access to their own devices.” Ms Forrest said apart from installation, there’d be little ongoing cost to hospitals if they exited the agreement and allowed patients to watch TV for free. “They just really need to get rid of the contract and look at another way of delivery,” she said. Ms Forrest spent two decades working as a nurse and midwife in the North-West before she was elected to the Legislative Council in 2005. She said the TV rental arrangement wasn’t just about money but caring for the overall wellbeing of patients. “For many people, this is a basic level of care,” she said. “You’d expect to have some form of entertainment when they're not critically ill, but recuperating and recovering. “Many people will watch [TV] when they’re not feeling well. They often don’t feel up to reading a book but they can watch a game of cricket on the telly or they can watch the news or a show they watch every Friday night.” Ms Forrest was also concerned about reports health professionals were often fixing faulty TVs because the company that rents them doesn’t offer a prompt reliable service. “Why do we stay in these clearly onerous contracts that directly impact on the capacity of the hospital to provide other services, or the health system more broadly? “It’s just ridiculous to think that a nurse has to take valuable time trying to fix a television because the service they’re paying for doesn’t work.”

Ms Forrest said apart from installation, there’d be little ongoing cost to hospitals if they exited the agreement and allowed patients to watch TV for free.

“They just really need to get rid of the contract and look at another way of delivery,” she said.

Ms Forrest spent two decades working as a nurse and midwife in the North-West before she was elected to the Legislative Council in 2005.

She said the TV rental arrangement wasn’t just about money but caring for the overall wellbeing of patients.

“For many people, this is a basic level of care,” she said.

“You’d expect to have some form of entertainment when they're not critically ill, but recuperating and recovering.

“Many people will watch [TV] when they’re not feeling well. They often don’t feel up to reading a book but they can watch a game of cricket on the telly or they can watch the news or a show they watch every Friday night.”

Ms Forrest was also concerned about reports health professionals were often fixing faulty TVs because the company that rents them doesn’t offer a prompt reliable service.

“Why do we stay in these clearly onerous contracts that directly impact on the capacity of the hospital to provide other services, or the health system more broadly?

“It’s just ridiculous to think that a nurse has to take valuable time trying to fix a television because the service they’re paying for doesn’t work.”